Every little bit counts

Recently I’ve started getting back into exercising in the morning (something i swore off years ago) with a workout DVD I bought a few months back, and I must admit I’m pretty proud of how well I’m sticking with it so far. It’s Ripped in 30 with Jillian Michaels, and it’s everything I wanted in a workout – short (each one is about 25-30 minutes long, including warm up and cool down), full-body, sweat-inducing, and tough! This is no jog-in-place-for-a-minute-then-do-a-sit-up workout. No. It kicks your ass! There are 4 different workouts, 1 for each week of a month (hence the “ripped in 30” part), and after 3 weeks I’m still only doing the week 2 workout. Woof.

When I got into this routine 3 weeks ago, I did it to free up time at night. We desperately need to get back to doing some work on our house, and since R does all of that I need to be able to watch D after work single-handedly. Plus I hate running when it’s cold and/or dark outside, and unfortunately I think we’ve finally hit that turning point in the seasons. Although, oddly enough, I’m starting to miss my couple little runs each week. Maybe I’ll try to sneak one in here and there, as long as I can still feel my digits. But anyway, this DVD has turned out to be a decent solution.

Wednesdays and Fridays (and sometimes mondays if i’m unable to get to my monday night group workout with my trainer) I get up at 5am, throw on my workout clothes, head out to the living room, unroll my yoga mat and grab my 5 lb. weights, and turn on the Xbox. Jillian and her 2 rotating cronies proceed to wipe the floor with my body for the next 23ish minutes (i skip the cool down and substitute my shower instead. bad form, i know, but whatevs), and I’m still ready to head out the door at our normal 7am without a hitch. So I wake up 40 minutes earlier than usual, but in that short time I get my exercise and shower in for the day, am pretty much always more awake by the time we leave than the non-exercise days, and start off the day feeling accomplished and really good. The best part, though? I DON’T HAVE TO LEAVE THE HOUSE. Hard to make excuses not to do it when I don’t even have to open the front door.

As the title suggests, you’re supposed to do this workout continually for 30 days, working your way up to level 4 by advancing to a new workout after each week. Then in 30 days, you’re magically ripped like Jillian and her sidekicks. Or something along those lines… Seeing as I only do it twice a week, however, I’m progressing as I feel comfortable. Which right now seems to be about 2 weeks on each level (so 4 workouts spaced out over 2 weeks for each level instead of 7 days in a row for each level. ouch). Even at a reduced schedule than what the plan recommends, I think it’s doing the trick. I feel great after each workout, and when I switch up to the next routine, I’m definitely sore for a bit. No pain, no gain, right?

Now this 3-times-a-week exercise regimen pales in comparison to my pre-D gym rat days where I would spend a good hour there after work every day and often on weekends, too, but hey, I don’t have time for that mess anymore. And that’s ok. I cancelled my gym membership at the beginning of this year, and I haven’t regretted that decision once in the almost 11 months since then. I was very fortunate to have shed my baby weight through breastfeeding and walks with D in the stroller those first couple months after she was born, so the goal of my exercise this year has just been to get my body back in shape. And I think I have. I did a pretty good job of running regularly this spring and summer, I do abs and push ups on my own most days of the week, I still have my weekly sessions with my trainer, and now I have my twice-weekly mornings with Jillian. And I feel good. And all my clothes are fitting properly, always a plus.

But sometimes I feel like I should be getting more exercise. I mean 3 times a week is good and all, but like I said, it’s much less than my body was used to before getting pregnant, so I know I can handle a lot more than this. But dammit, I just don’t have (or try very hard to make, anyway) more time for it. So I’ve done a little brainstorming, and I realized that many things in my everyday routine actually do count toward upping my exercise quota without me thinking much about them. And most of these I’ve discovered since having D, for since I’m not torching calories on a spin bike or treadmill each day anymore I am trying to dust a couple wherever I can.

• Having a growing toddler in the house, period. D weighs close to 25 lbs. now, so constantly picking her up and toting her around is a great bicep blaster. One of our friends who came over the other week held her for a good half hour, and when he put her down he even commented on how surprisingly tired his arm was, simply from having her up there. My guns are thanking you, little one.
• Using my abs to straighten up. I’ve just noticed recently what a difference this one makes, but I can totally feel it. Whenever I’m bent over at the waist – washing my face, washing dishes, picking up another pile of crap from wherever it may lie – I would normally just stand straight up without even thinking about it. This can be really hard on a back that already aches from carrying around that aforementioned toddler. So now I concentrate on engaging my abs and using them to straighten my back, kind of like a reverse sit up. This helps strengthen your core (abs, obliques, and lower back), and doesn’t put nearly as much strain directly on your back. Don’t believe me? Try it. And if you notice no difference, then by all means, feel free to call me a liar. It’s ok, I can take it.
• Lifting with my legs, not my back. Everyone knows this rule when doing any heavy lifting, but it certainly comes into play more and more as that toddler gets bigger and bigger (read heavier and heavier). The last thing I need is to be out of commission with a strained back.
• Using my butt to stand up, not my knees. I used to do this wrong constantly. Whenever I’d be crouched down, say trying to retrieve something D dropped while in my arms and trying not to drop her in the process, I would push through my knees to stand back up. This killed my knees every time, and they would often pop or crack in revolt. Now, whenever I’m down in a low squat position, I turn it into just that – a squat. Don’t push on your quads with your hands and force your body staggering back upright through your knees; engage your quads, glutes, and hammies to rise. You won’t even need your hands to push on anything. You can feel your buns burning, which is always a good thing. And for extra credit, squeeze your core along with your butt. Feel more burn. I’ve heard that squats are good for quieting unhappy babies, too, so if you find yourself in that predicament give this one a shot. Silenced baby + toned booty = happy mama.
• Pushing a vacuum more effectively. Or a broom, or a mop, or whatever floor cleaning device you have. Again, use your core. Tighten up your midsection, put a little oopmf into each push, and you can work your biceps and triceps too.
• Take the stairs. In fact, I take the stairs 2 at a time whenever I can. Overachiever, I know. How many loads of laundry do you do each week? Is your laundry room on a different floor than where you fold or put away the clothes? How many trips up and down those stairs does that equal? ‘Nuff said.

So you see, there are plenty of little things you’re probably already doing that help contribute to your overall daily exercise. And if you’re not, then try these out. It’s zero extra work, it’s just tweaking actions you already make. They’re easy, and if you do them right you really can feel them working. Sure, none of the above tips will break a sweat like a 5 mile run or build your biceps like you’ve been curling with 50 lb. dumbbells, but then again not much does besides those activities themselves. I just like knowing that even though I don’t exercise as much as I used to right now, every little bit really does count.